There are many medical and industrial uses for oxygen and the noble gases recovered from the atmosphere. While these gases are of great interest and have a substantial commercial value, nitrogen comprises a greater portion of the atmosphere. Nitrogen is substantially inert. Accordingly, it is most advantageous as a non-polluting fuel which is recovered in the same process normally used to obtain liquid oxygen and other gases from the atmosphere. Other constituents in liquid air include carbon dioxide, neon, argon, and zenon. As a consequence, it could be a by-product of most oxygen manufacturing plants and many plants are dedicated to making nitrogen.
The readily available abundant supplies of nitrogen make it uniquely adaptable as a feed stock for specialty equipment such as people and freight movers. Such equipment can be operated in hazardous areas where electrical or hydrocarbon powered plants are too dangerous. One type of specialty equipment is special vehicles. The present disclosure is directed to a vehicular power plant though not confined to vehicles. The power plant is adaptable for all types of vehicles. Because there is presently no distribution system comparable to service stations which dispense gasoline, it is conjectured that passenger automobiles will initially utilize the power plant herein disclosed only in small quantities. However, this power plant is uniquely adapted for dedicated fleets which operate in the near vicinity of a cryogenic liquid storage facility. As an example, the power plant herein disclosed is easily adapted for vehicles operating at a given location. An industrial example is the use of the power plant herein disclosed in fork lifts, delivery carts, and the like at a large plant. Another example is the use of cryogenically fueled busses traveling a fixed route and returning to a storage yard daily. Many other examples can be suggested. In any case, they suggest a setting where the present apparatus is easily used with a single fueling facility. At a typical golf course service yard, a large cryogenic storage tank can be installed at the club house, and the golf carts can be easily refueled after each round of golf. The present invention would be advantageous in that it is substantially quieter than an internal combustion engine. It also provides a totally non-polluting engine requiring little or no hydrocarbons even as lubricants and none as a fuel.